20 New Year Resolutions for Entrepreneurs to Jumpstart 2016

Janil Jean Jan 6, 2016

Feature Image Source: iStock.com/Jobalou

Another new year, another occasion to resolve and opportunity to break promises. For an individual, New Year resolutions are like falling autumn leaves; they sprout after Christmas and die out by summer’s end. But for a business owner, can you really afford to let go of your resolutions like this?

Admitted, the road to enterprise creation and building is hard to traverse, and many stumble and fall. The bright side is, those who persevere, will have more chances to success. Steve Jobs’ relentless pursuit of perfection at Apple; Mark Zuckerberg’s resolution to turn his pet project into Facebook; and Larry Page’s going beyond expectations motto has brought us Google. If these entrepreneurs hadn’t resolved each year to persevere, we’d be living in a much darker world.

With these solemn thoughts in mind, I dug around and found 20 inspirational quotes which you might want to adopt for 2016, and persevere in your endeavor to start, grow, or innovate your business. My way of saying “cheers” to the New Year.

Always deliver more than expected. – Larry Page, Co-founder Google

Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. – Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics founder

An entrepreneur is someone who jumps off a cliff and builds a plane on the way down. – Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. – Steve Jobs, Co-Founder Apple

The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer. –Nolan Bushnell, Founder Atari

Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself. – Oprah Winfrey, TV host and author

If you’ve got an idea, start today. There’s no better time than now to get going. That doesn’t mean quit your job and jump into your idea 100% from day one, but there’s always small progress that can be made to start the movement. – Kevin Systrom, Creator of Instagram

When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor. – Elon Musk, CEO Tesla Motors

Whether I’m at the office, at home, or on the road, I always have a stack of books I’m looking forward to reading. – Bill Gates, Co-founder Microsoft

Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you. – Mark Cuban, Producer Shark Tank

I think it’s quite great to set yourself a big challenge, and then you’ve got another reason for keeping fit. – Richard Branson, Founder Virgin Group

Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand and the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. — Henry Ford, Founder Ford Motor Company

I’ve been blessed to find people who are smarter than I am, and they help me to execute the vision I have. – Russell Simmons, Chairman Rush Communications

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful. – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon

If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late. – Reid Hoffman, Co-founder LinkedIn

Make your team feel respected, empowered, and genuinely excited about the company’s mission.– Tim Westergren, Pandora Radio

Everyone has an idea. But it’s really about executing the idea and attracting other people to help you work on the idea. – Jack Dorsey, Founder Twitter

Don’t wait for perfection. Life isn’t perfect. Do the best you can and ship. Real people ship, and then they test and then they ship again. Then you wake up one day and you have something insanely great. – Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist, Canva